In treatment of patients in developing countries, concerns exist as to the spread of infection through use of non-sterile instruments. In addition to spread of infection, another concern is contagion from non-sterile instruments is Prion related diseases. Prion or prion related diseases such as Alzheimer disease in humans and mad cow disease in bovine species, although there is no conclusive proof, are suspected of transmission through non-sterile medical, dental and veterinary instruments.
Prions exist normally as innocuous cellular proteins. Prions, however, possess an innate capacity to convert into highly stabile conformations that form harmful particles which become causative agents of several deadly brain diseases of the dementia type in humans and animals. Converted prions are believed to interact with one another to destroy nerve cells in the brain, causing impaired muscle control and dementia-type illnesses. Examples of these types of illnesses include Kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Fatal Familial Insomnia, Gertsmann-Straussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease, Alzheimer's Disease in humans, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (“mad cow”) disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.
A new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease may have arisen through mad cow disease transmission. Since 1995 about 20 patients have been identified who exhibit Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease-like symptoms. These symptoms include psychological problems as well as physical symptoms such as involuntary muscle contractions and difficulties in walking. In addition, new fears have arisen that a strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease attacks humans under the age of 40.
Most medical practitioners in third world countries treat non-sterile medical instruments with alcohol at room temperature or by boiling water at 100° C. This, however, does not necessarily kill all pathogens such those responsible for various strains of hepatitis.
Instruments also have been sterilized with autoclaves. Autoclaves, however, consume excessive energy and require use of purified water. Autoclaves, moreover, are unable to rapidly sterilize medical instruments.
Rapid sterilization of instruments is important so that those instruments can be used in successive out-patient surgeries in medical offices instead of hospitals. Rapid sterilization also is important in dental offices. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration requires dentists to sterilize dental hand pieces. Autoclaves, however, can not achieve rapid sterilization. Autoclaves, moreover, due to difficulty in sterilizing the inside mechanics and tubing of hand pieces, can not guarantee sterilization. Autoclaves also corrode the hand pieces. These deficiencies not only endanger patients but also require dentists to procure and inventory excessive number of dental hand pieces. Due to deficiencies such as those discussed above, military and Red Cross field hospitals have found it necessary to use expensive disposable instruments.
Medical, dental and veterinarian instruments, after having been sterilized, must be maintained in a sterilized state over a substantial period of time. This has been accomplished by placing the instruments into a sterility bag prior to and during sterilization.
Sterility bags have been developed for use in autoclaves. These bags, however, are very costly for use in field operations and in developing countries.
Previous efforts to sterilize medical instruments to avoid transmission of mad cow disease from infected instruments have focused on use of elevated temperatures. Tests at the Neuropathogenesis Unit, Institute for Animal Health, Edinburgh, Scotland show only slight inactivation (reduction) of mad cow disease symptoms after treatment of instruments with dry heat or steam heat at 100° C. for 30 minutes. Tests at DLO-Institute for Animal Science and Health (ID-DLO), Lelystad, The Netherlands show only between 1.7 and 3.1 log reduction after 20 minutes pressure cooking at 133° C.
Autoclaves, since they typically are employed to treat instruments with steam at 121° C. for 15 minutes, may not be able to reduce scrapie and other prion agents to a level sufficient to prevent transmission through medical, dental and veterinary instruments of diseases such as Kuru, Gertsmann-Straussler-Scheinker Disease, Fatal Familial Insomnia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, and variants thereof.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE and scrapie agents, as shown by Schreuder BE et al, at DLO-Institute for Animal Science and Health (ID-DLO), Lelystad, The Netherlands, 5-2-1998, are more resistant to lower temperatures and shorter time cycles and less resistant to higher temperatures and longer time cycles.
Yet another concern from contagion is infection from bacteria present in soil and water, especially in third world countries. Anaerobic bacteria such as B. anthracis which causes anthrax can form dormant spores (endospores) which can remain viable for long periods of time in soil. Anthrax is 99% lethal to unprotected individuals.
Attempts to control contagion in soil have used methyl bromide. In the United States, about 27,000 tons (60 million pounds) of methyl bromide are used annually in agriculture for soil fumigation, commodity and quarantine treatment, as well as structural fumigation. Globally, about 76,000 tons of methyl bromide are used each year.
Methyl bromide, however, is toxic not only to the target organisms but also to non-target organisms. Human exposure to high concentrations of methyl bromide can result in central nervous system and respiratory system failure, as well as specific and severe deleterious effects to the lungs, eyes, and skin.
In addition, methyl bromide is a significant ozone depleting substance. It is estimated that methyl bromide is at least 50 times more effective at destroying ozone than chlorine from CFCs on a per molecule basis. At the Ninth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, it was agreed that industrialized countries shall completely eliminate use of methyl bromide by the year 2005. Non-industrialized countries shall completely eliminate use of methyl bromide by the year 2015.
Various alternatives to methyl bromide for soil treatment have been or under consideration. Alternatives include 1,3-dichloropropene, dazomet, chloropicrin, and meta sodium, as well as selective contact insecticides and herbicides. For treatment of commodities, alternatives include phosphine and carbonyl sulfide, irradiation, controlled atmospheres utilizing nitrogen and carbon dioxide, & heat/cold. These alternatives, moreover, are pest specific.
In view of the above concerns, it is apparent that a need exists for methods and devices for sterilization of instruments such as medical, dental and veterinarian instruments which avoid disadvantages such as those described above. A need also exists for preserving sterility of medical, dental and veterinary instruments. In addition, a need exists for sterilization of soil, military and agriculture equipment to eliminate pathogenic bacteria as those described above, as well as for sterilization commodities which avoid disadvantages such as those described above.
A concern also exists regarding spread of dangerous bacterium such as Escherichia Coli 0157:H7. Escherichia Coli 0157:H7 is a dangerous bacterium that is easily spread through consumption of undercooked ground beef and under pasteurized milk. This is particularly so with contaminated ground beef, where the grinding process can spread the virulent bacteria to many hamburger patties processed at the same time. Failure to wash hands or kitchen eating utensils after handling the contaminated meat can also spread the bacterium Escherichia Coli 0157:H7 has long been recognized as an important cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and Colitis. According to the Center for Disease Control approximately 20,000 people eat food infected by E. Coli 0157:H7 each year. Approximately 200 deaths annually are reported.
Salmonella enteritidis is also a major concern. Salmonella enteritidis is spread through poultry, eggs, and egg products such as mayonnaise. Eating undercooked poultry, using cooking utensils and cutting boards used for the preparation of raw poultry without properly cleaning them, and eating eggs or egg products which have not been properly refrigerated are the primary causes of infection with Salmonella enteritidis. 
Other bacterial pathogens can cause food-borne illnesses. For example, listeria monocytogenes can cause septicemia, meningitis, and stillbirths. Infections and illnesses from listeria monocytogenes often result from unsanitary commercial processing of dairy, poultry, and meat products-including pizza toppings, and kill up to one-third of the people infected and
Campylobacter jejuni is now the most common bacterial cause of diarrhea in industrialized countries and is caused by contaminated raw foods. Campylobacter jejuni is the most prevalent pathogen in poultry, and in more serious cases, can result in arthritis, septicemia, meningitis, inflammation of the heart and other organs, and Guillain-Barr6 syndrome (paralysis).
Parasitic infections from parasites such as the Trichinella spiralis can arise in humans who eat meat from an infected host animal. These parasitic infections can cause permanent damage to the eyes, heart, and other organs. Commercial food processing has greatly reduced the incidence of food-borne parasites; however, foods prepared under unsanitary processing conditions or at home-notably, cured or smoked meat may harbor these parasites.
Food borne pathogens die when exposed to heat for a specific amount of time. A ground beef patty cooked to 160° F. is safe. Cooking of the ground beef patty until it reaches an internal temperature of 160° F. throughout kills E. Coli 0157:H7, Salmonella and E. Coli. 
With current technology in the form of broilers, charcoal grills and ovens, however, it is not possible to cook a hamburger patty to the juicy, medium rare state and yet be certain that E. Coli 0157:H7, E. Coli or Salmonella have been killed. In order for the internal temperature of the hamburger patty to reach 160° F., it is necessary to cook the hamburger until reaches the well done state. The well done state, however, is much less juicy and flavorful, and looses its juicy taste.
Food born pathogens such as Salmonella, E. Coli 0157:H7 and E. Coli (EXEC) can be transmitted by unsanitary tableware and eating utensils. Since these pathogens are resistant to chlorine, then the use of tap water may not be sufficient for cleaning tableware and eating utensils.
A need therefore exists for treating foodstuffs such as hamburger meat to sufficient temperature to kill E. Coli 0157:H7, E. Coli(EXEC), Salmonella and other food borne pathogens and yet avoid the aforedescribed disadvantages.
A need also exists for treating tableware and eating utensils to eliminate pathogens such as E. Coli 0157:H7, E. Coli(EXEC), Salmonella and other food borne pathogens and yet avoid the aforedescribed disadvantages.